There are seven key points that should be remembered when coaching a goalkeeper.

• As a football coach, you should never force a player to take the role of goalkeeper if he doesn’t want to play in that position. It takes a specific type of character and personality to take on such a specialized role and this is true no matter what the age of the player. Players who perform brilliantly in outfield positions have been known to crumble when forced by a well-meaning coach to take on the goalkeeping position.

• Spend time with your goalkeeper. Give him assistance with developing good habits and traits. An experienced coach knows a keeper requires individual attention during training sessions and will use this time to practice techniques and discourage lazy or careless work.

• Always remain positive even if your team has taken a thrashing! Most goalkeepers will be aware of any mistakes they’ve made resulting in the opposition scoring. Don’t linger on it whilst the match is still being played; instead show lots of encouragement and a few quick training points if needed before the game kicks off again. Use the next coaching session to practice any areas that need improving.

• Help your keeper remain calm. A talented goalkeeper will have the ability to take control of the game and set the pace. Encourage the keeper to hold possession of the ball for a maximum of five seconds after performing a save as this demonstrates confidence and control as well as allowing him to regain his composure. All too often, a coach yells at his goalie to pass the ball swiftly. Sometimes it will be necessary to quickly release the ball but confidence will be achieved with stature and composure.

• Praise your goalkeeper frequently, not just when he makes a save. A goalie will get lots of admiration from his team-mates and fans for stopping the opposition scoring; however, it’s the job of a coach to give credit and appreciation for additional expertise shown during a match. Abilities such as good communication with defence, forcing an attacker to miss a shot through skillful positioning or a well-aimed pass that results in attack should all be given commendation.

• Think carefully before substituting a goalkeeper. During my career, we suffered several heavy losses; however, on none of these occasions was I replaced. I remember in one match, I was having a bad game and we were 5-0 down at half time. An early error had shaken my confidence and it was obvious to the opposition, who were exploiting it. My coach offered me encouragement during a half time talk away from the other members of the team, emphasising my abilities and strengths and how well he knew I could play – just generally building up my confidence. It worked. After the break, the match turned around completely. I conceded no further goals and although our side lost 5-3, I was awarded man of the match. If you feel it’s absolutely necessary to substitute your goalkeeper, focus on his positive qualities and make it clear you’re not doing it because he is a bad player but because it’s just not his day.

• Give your goalkeeper help with additional training. It’s difficult to spend as much time with your goalie as perhaps you’d like to, particularly if training sessions only last for a couple of hours each week. Show your keeper drills and exercises he can work on at home either with the help of a parent or on his own. Lend him coaching DVDs, which he can watch or point him in the direction of websites he can visit for help and information on improving his game.

Always remember, a good goalkeeper will never stop learning.

There are five pitfalls that coaches may find themselves falling into and all these may have an effect on the players’ competence at taking shots on goal. This article looks at these pitfalls and offers some advice on encouraging your players to make more attempts at goal scoring – hopefully with success!

• Not making shooting the main aim

Some coaches spend a lot of time working on passing the ball, movement and support during attacking training sessions but they fail to reiterate the key point of these attacks, which is having a shot at goal. What occurs here is that the team are instructed on creating goal-scoring opportunities and are content with this. Not enough attention is given to the shot. Was it weak, well placed, on target, across the goalkeeper, worked the goalkeeper? All the analysis given is whether the shot went in the net or not.

“We played a brilliant game today but we failed to take our chances.” An often-heard comment in soccer matches. However, how can a team play brilliantly if they haven’t scored?

Advice

You must reinforce to your players that any attacking play should give rise to a goal scoring opportunity with a shot at goal being taken.

• Supporting the ball being overplayed by commending selfless play

Do you ever congratulate a player who has passed the ball to a team-mate instead of attempting the shot himself? At times, a player will be in a goal scoring position but instead will choose to pass to another player. Usually this is because of nerves or lack of confidence and they opt to give the responsibility to somebody else. The problem here is that a selfless player is not going to win you any soccer matches.

Advice

Train your team to be confident and assertive when taking shots at goal. Teach them the importance of accepting responsibility for taking shots, regardless of the outcome. If a goal is not scored, at least they attempted the shot. Remember then to analyse why it was missed.

• Not using correct size nets during practice

It is important to use the correct size goals during soccer coaching sessions. Occasionally this can’t be helped, for example when training indoors during winter but small five-a-side nets are not a realistic comparison of the goals the team will be shooting at during a proper match.

Advice

Use portable goals if at all possible. Otherwise, use cones or poles that represent the exact goal width the team normally play with.

• Not encouraging the correct mental approach to shooting

A players mental attitude to shooting at goal is just as important, if not more so, than their technical expertise. Players should be instructed that any attacking play should finish with a shot at goal. Possession of the ball means nothing unless it involves penetration and an attempt on goal. Not all efforts are going to result in goals but failure to shoot means there is no prospect of scoring. Setting up opportunities is one thing; however, not taking on the shot is another.

Advice

The next time you watch your team play, whether it’s during a small a-side training session or a full game, observe how many chances there were compared to how many shots at goal were taken. Look at the ratio, then at how well the team are performing by encouraging them to attempt the shot. You should expect 30% improvement at least in the ratio.

• Failing to coach the right technique

Poor technique is the reason most goal attempts do not test the goalkeeper. Often this poor technique relates to how shooting practice during training sessions is run. For instance, how much of the session is allocated to shooting at goal from an assortment of different build-up positions? Positions such as connecting with a through ball, crosses from the left or right, receiving the ball to feet, then turning and attempting the shot. Or the various ball flights the players must get used to such as low shots, a bouncing ball or a dropping ball.

Advice

In training sessions, ensure practice shooting is as match oriented as possible. Use the right size nets, vary ball flights and the type of service received.

By paying close attention during games, you’ll see that once a throw-in is conceded, all the players switch off and unwind due to the interruption in play. Once the level of concentration is broken and players are taking it easy, your team need to take advantage and punish their opponents.

Five key points are involved when coaching soccer throw-ins.

• The throw-in should be taken as quickly as possible, preferably by the player nearest the ball. As soon as he gets hold of the ball, he should be searching for an outlet.

• Train your players to first seek out the player who is furthest forward and preferably unmarked. Players should be reminded they cannot be considered offside if they take delivery of the ball straight from a throw-in, therefore spread out the play.

• If the furthest forward player is too hard to reach, then instruct the players to look for the nearest player who is unmarked. He should have some space, enabling him to take control of the ball, begin an attack or return the ball to the thrower.

• Train your team how to take a throw-in. It’s all too common that throw-ins are taken and the player receiving it doesn’t stand a chance to do anything with it because it bounces too much, is too high in the air or is thrown with far too much speed.

• Once the player has taken the throw-in, it’s vital he resumes his position on the field as quickly as possible.

Your team can’t go too far wrong if you coach them on the five points listed above. However, do these principles apply no matter where the throw-in is taking place – the attacking third, the defensive third or the midfield? The answer to that is yes and here’s why.

The Defensive Third

Safety is the first and foremost consideration here. The throw-in should be directed toward an unmarked player, with him passing to the opposite side of the pitch or starting up a rapid attack without intervention from the opposing team.

If the player taking the throw-in wants the ball returned to him, he should direct the ball toward the receiving player at foot or head height and using a speed at which the receiver can easily return the ball.

If neither of the first two options are available, lob the ball up the pitch as far as you possibly can. This is especially applicable in games of mini football. Usually you will get several players arguing over who takes the throw-in; by the time they have decided any advantage they may have achieved has gone, therefore the first player to reach the ball takes on the throw-in.

Midfield

There are a few more options in the midfield area. Your side are not as near the goal therefore more risks and chancier throw-ins should be taken.

Two throw-ins suited to the midfield are:

1.    Direct the throw-in toward an unmarked player able to control the ball, keep possession and create chances.
2.    Make a long throw-in into space with the ball directed at a player who initially ran short but spun off, to run down the line on the attack.

In the second instance, usually if the marker is touch tight, he will position himself ball side and goal side of your player. This should mean there is sufficient room for him down the line to turn around to attack the space.

The Attacking Third

In this section of the pitch, the faster the throw-in is taken the better. Prompt action and a fast throw-in means the opposition will not have time to organise and compose themselves.

To gain an even better advantage from this, instruct your team to take short runs and ensure lots of movement as this will make marking almost impossible.

When a throw-in is won, your players must be alert and ready for immediate action in the hope of catching the opposition unawares.

Unsurprisingly, mistakes happen. Below are the five most common errors a young goalkeeper will make.

Remaining at the goal line

It’s not uncommon for a young goalkeeper to remain on the goal line for the entire duration of the game. If an opposition player is attacking and preparing to take a shot at goal, instead of moving out and closing down the player (the usual tactic for an outfield player) the goalkeeper stays on his line.

Remedy

During coaching sessions or matches, prompt the goalkeeper frequently to move out from his line. When your team has possession of the ball at the far end of the pitch, get the goalie to move forward ten paces and shuffle his feet around a little before quickly moving backward. Ask him to stop when he estimates he is half way back to his goal line, turn around to confirm and immediately refocus on the match.

Not enough communication with the defence

It’s funny how players love to chatter during coaching sessions and warm ups but as soon as they get on the pitch the communication stops! This is particularly common with young goalkeepers, who are inclined not to speak with their defenders, when in fact they should be directing them, instructing them where to intercept and the actions they should be taking.

Remedy

During a coaching session, allocate each player a number. Using sequence drills, the players must call out their number so the team member with possession of the ball knows their location on the pitch, therefore where to pass to. Make use of statues as a coaching method and question the goalkeeper about how he sees the situation on the pitch. Is he happy with the defence and how it is organized? Are all members of the opposition marked? Questions such as these encourage the goalkeeper to think about situations and prompt him to give instructions to and communicate with his team-mates.

Moving too fast out of goal

Unlike the first error listed above, a goalkeeper who chooses to come out from the goal line to close down attack often does so at speed. When this is the case, the attacking player merely moves the ball around the keeper and easily puts it straight in the back of the net.

Remedy

Similarly to the way an outfield player slows up roughly six feet away from their opponent when moving in to close him down, so should a goalkeeper. However, a goalie should allow a little more distance – approximately twelve to fifteen feet. He should give the illusion of size by spreading his arms wide and keep on his toes, prepared to move in whichever direction the attacker chooses.

Hitting the ground too soon

Another common error young goalkeepers make is going to ground too often rather than staying upright and keeping balanced. Sometimes they even exacerbate the problem by tackling the attacking player feet first.

Remedy

Line up all outfield players during a training session and direct them to dribble the ball toward the goal and set up a shot. The intention is for the goalkeeper to move quickly out from his line toward the attacker and stop at a suitable distance away. He should make himself appear bigger by spreading his arms, all the while maintaining his balance and remaining upright. Repetition of this drill and giving encouragement through feedback should help enhance the keeper’s performance.

Not getting behind the ball

An inexperienced young goalie is sometimes motionless and tries to block the ball without moving his feet or attempting to position his body behind the ball.

Remedy

The larger the player and the more he can get his body behind the ball, the greater the chance of successful goalkeeping. By always being on his toes, being able to anticipate play and knowing when the opposition are liable to take a shot, the better the goalkeeper will perform. Spend some time practising footwork with your outfield players and keeper enabling them to position themselves swiftly and readjust when necessary.

• An elevated back pass or a miss hit ball by a member of his own team, which the goalie cannot pick up using his hands due to a foul being committed.

• When a long ball comes in over the defenders, there may be no other choice but for the keeper to leave his goal and attempt to divert the ball, or take on the opposition striker. The goalkeeper may do this either before the ball bounces or after.

There is one purpose and one purpose only for the keeper to head a ball. That is to get it as far away as he possibly can from the goal. Normally this requires heading the ball wide and high as this allows the defenders to reorganise and cope with the attack whilst the goalkeeper retreats to his penalty area.

Training Exercise

This is a simple exercise for the goalkeeper and just needs one other player to serve the ball.

Standing roughly 10 feet from the goalkeeper, the server throws the ball high in the air, aiming for a distance of 4-5 yards from the keeper.

The goalkeeper must run toward the ball, heading it high and further up the pitch.

The exercise is intended to increase the confidence of the goalie in using headers. It may take a while for him to feel comfortable doing this as he is used to catching the ball with his hands.

Once the awkwardness has passed and he is feeling more comfortable with his heading, the serving player retreats a further 5 yards. Keep repeating the drill and this time ask the goalkeeper to aim the ball diagonally up the pitch.

Build up the pressure

When the keeper is displaying confidence in heading, the server retreats even further to a distance similar to half the pitch and a third player is introduced in the attacking position.

As normal, the server throws the ball. The keeper, using only his head, must clear it before it reaches the penalty area but in this case, the pressure is increased by the introduction of the attacker.

The attacking player shouldn’t attempt contact with the ball just yet, it’s enough for the moment for him to jump in front of the goalkeeper or just along with him. The main purpose of him being there is simply to make the keeper aware of his presence.

Keep repeating this exercise, with the attacker increasing pressure each time until both players are fully challenging for the ball.

Key objectives

• Building the goalkeeper’s confidence, so he can perform headers if required.

• Increase his proficiency in challenging with his head without committing a foul. As the last defender, preventing a possible goal scoring chance by fouling will without doubt produce a red card from the referee.

• Ensure the goalkeeper realises how crucial it is to clear the ball both wide and high. This allows defenders to regroup and provide cover as the keeper retreats to the penalty area.

Using the shoulder charge when challenging an opponent can be useful if both players are running beside each other or coming at each other from separate directions.

To make a successful challenge, sometimes only a slight push is necessary to unbalance the opponent. The player using the shoulder charge must be in a strong position to achieve this, however.

As players get older and wiser, they become more adept at recognising when challenges such as the shoulder charge are about to be used and prepare themselves for it. An experienced player will even return the challenge, with the one who has most stability on his feet usually winning.

To successfully coach the shoulder charge, your players need to be aware of the following points.

• Keep their centre of gravity relatively low.
• Keep their balance.
• Use their outer leg to force momentum into the charge.
• When the opponent’s weight is on his outer leg, jolt him on his upper arm or shoulder.
• Be prepared to get pushed in return.
• Be ready to challenge successfully for the ball.
• Practice the shoulder charge, enabling it to be used effectively during a match.

The technique can be brought into training sessions in various ways.

• Pair your players off and instruct each pair to run beside each other, taking it in turn to perform the charge. The key here is to carry out the technique whilst the opponent is bearing his weight on his outside leg.
• Advance the challenge with one player dribbling the ball and their partner using the shoulder charge to attempt to push him off the ball.
• Have each player in the pair aim for the ball whilst coming from separate directions, using the shoulder charge.
• Practise the technique whilst challenging for the ball. This differs from exercise two in that the player must successfully tackle for the ball.

When beginning these drills, the player receiving the shoulder charge should use little resistance. This allows the challenger to hone his technique. As improvement is shown, full contact is introduced.

Always ensure your players challenge appropriately, using only their shoulder or upper arm to make contact with the same part of their opponent’s body.